Love of Land and Sea
by Guinea Pig Squeaks
Summary: A voyage out on the sea lead to a fateful meeting between two souls.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

As calming as many found the sound of the sea to be, Syo could not stand it at this point. Why he volunteered to even take the ship out for a week long voyage was beyond him. At least he was returning home later that day. The ship was close to Syo's home, which he was very thankful for since he could not wait another day to leave the ship and the sea.

"I hate this, but at least I'm not locked up in the castle like always…" Syo muttered to himself as he walked away from the center of the boat to the railing to stare off into the never ending blue sea. At least here he had some freedom compared to the little amount he had in the castle.

Syo was a prince who was born with a weak heart. It took visits from various magicians, sages, healers, and witch doctors to have allowed him to live this long. Even though his heart is in better condition than when he was born, it was still weak and needed to be cared for. Even now on the boat, there was a healer available should Syo experience any heart difficulties. It was just like the castle, but at least here it was the ocean that kept him prisoner rather than his heart. At the castle, de could rarely leave the grounds for the fear of sudden attack occurring. If this ship could free him from his luxurious cell, he would gladly take the chance and risk his health. To the prince's relief, he was in perfect condition since the day he sailed out of the port. Honestly, his family was worried over nothing. Their constant care felt more like a heavy chain rather than doting affection.

The young, blond prince was too deep in his thoughts to even realize the sea had suddenly turned turbulent. It only came to his attention when a wave hit the ship, and caused Syo to hit the railing.

"Prince! Please get inside the ship!" yelled a shipmate. Syo attempted to head to safety, but another wave struck the ship, and sent the small prince into the deep, violent water.

He was knocked unconscious as his body hit the water. The last thing his blue eyes managed to see was a humanoid figure heading towards him.

"An angel…I must be dead…" were the last words to be uttered by his lips before everything went black.

* * *

Even though the sea was calm, there were various signs that it would soon turn violent. Anyone who lived in the sea could figure that out, but those above the surface only had the sky to warn them. Too often, a rogue wave would appear before the sky could even turn gray.

Ai had little interest in humans, but he knew the ship was in danger. He knew he could do little to help, but at the least he could take any belongings from the ship and deposit them on the beach in hopes someone would recognize them. Of course, he would keep anything of interest for himself. Human trinkets were very interesting for mermaids. Well, technically he was a merman, but he didn't mind either term.

He followed the ship closely, and watched as the waves knocked it. He was surprised no one had fallen over yet, but continued to observe. He had no intention of rescuing anyone, not that he even could if more than one fell, he only wanted a few pieces of human items if he was lucky any were to fall into the water.

He surfaced for a minute to see how well the people aboard were managing themselves, and to his surprise, they were doing well even with the late warning.

"Smart humans, but I wish at least something interesting would fall off the boat." Ai said to himself. As he was about to submerge, he noticed a body fall off of the ship, and his eyes followed the it until the body hit the water. Curiosity took hold of him, and he dove under the water to see the drowning human. As he swam closer to the unconscious body, he noticed this human was different from others who had met terrible fates with the sea. They were often ugly with missing teeth, scarred faces, and much, much older. This human, however, was very young with flawless, soft, pale skin. His clothes were also different from other humans who had fallen into the water. The young human's clothes were more fine with pieces of gold embedded into it. He must be very important if he had something precious sewed into his clothes Ai figured.

He pressed his ear against the young man's chest. A soft, faint heartbeat was audible, but it grew weaker with each passing second. He had no plans of saving anyone, but before his mind could even process what to do, he found himself carrying the small human to shore. He could not understand why he was doing this, but he figured it had to be because he was so different from anyone else he had seen, and the fact that there was only one body to save as opposed to the many that usually fell or drowned with the boat during any shipwreck. Surely, this was the reason for his action. What else would drive him to save someone from land.

When the two were near the shoreline, he beached himself and the stranger he rescued on a clear beach with soft sand. He pressed his ear against his chest one more time, and found the heart beat to be even weaker than before. This human was obviously important, and needed to be saved. Ai pressed his palms over the other's chest, and pushed down with great force repeatedly until the human's lungs coughed out seawater. He remained unconscious, but he was breathing at the least.

The young mermaid sighed in relief, and placed his light blue tail over the young man's legs to keep him warm, while he held his upper body in his arms. Ai was fascinated with his features, and could not help but trace over them with his fingers. First, his nose, then each cheek, and lastly his thumb brushed over his lower lip.

"Blonde hair…" Ai whispered to himself as he ran his hand through it. He compared his own cyan colored hair to it. "It's much softer than mine…" As his hand continued to smoothen it, he suddenly noticed a set of blue eyes staring up at him.

* * *

Syo could not believe what his eyes were seeing. The sight was directly in front him, no, it was holding him. There was a mermaid stroking his hair, but he still could not believe this was happening to him.

It was not long before the young mermaid noticed Syo was awake and watching him. He took the chance to speak to it, hoping he could ask it a few questions.

"H-Hello…Were you the one who saved me?" The mermaid quickly dropped him, and tried to get himself back into the water.

"Wait!" Syo called as he sat back up. "I just want to talk! Please stay here!" But it was too late. The mermaid disappeared back into the depths of the sea without even saying a word to the prince he rescued from a terrible fate. While Syo stared out into the sea for any trace of the creature, he heard the sound of castle guards calling his name. At least he managed to end up home even after losing the mermaid to the vast, endless sea. The prince closed his eyes, and fell back asleep as the guards carried his weak body back to the castle to be nurtured back to full health.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Days have passed since Syo was rescued by the mermaid. When asked how he managed to find land, he did not bother to tell them the truth since they would never believe him. Instead he simply said it was a miracle he washed up safe and sound. They easily trusted in his story considering the ship and people aboard managed to survive the storm with little to no damage.

As amazing as it was to have fallen overboard and be rescued by a mythical creature, it did have a negative impact on Syo's life. Even though he felt fine about a day later since the event, he was told to stay in bed, though it felt more like an order to the prince. He was not allowed to leave his room until a healer or anyone with healing capabilities cleared him. Syo thought this was all unnecessary, but there was no use in trying to persuade his family's mind. Especially his twin brother who made the order in the first place. The prince loved is brother, but he wished the other would at least let him wander the castle grounds to stretch his legs.

At the very least, his closest guard whom he found a friend in long ago, would help him sneak out of his room to wander the halls quietly to look out the windows from there. Syo's room had a magnificent view of the castle courtyard, but lately he had been longing to see the ocean rather than the rose bushes.

"Syo, I think it's time for you to go back. Your brother checks your room at this time of the day."

"Fine…Thanks, Natsuki. I appreciate you bringing me out so often here…I just really can't believe Kaoru won't let me leave my room at all." The two walked quietly back to Syo's room, or the fancy dungeon as the two jokingly called it. Natsuki understood Syo the most out of anyone in the castle, even his own brother. The prince enjoyed his guard's company and companionship, but he could never bring himself to mention the mermaid to Natsuki. He would never believe him, and most likely tell Syo that he had hallucinated the mermaid rescuing and holding him since he was so close to death that day. He brushed off the notion of telling the other, and returned quietly to his room.

"Can I ask why you want to see the ocean so much lately? I mean, if it were me, I would be terrified of the water if something that awful happened to me…" Natsuki asked the prince as he helped him get into bed, which the other fought against, but gave in.

"Terrified?" Syo whispered to himself. How could anyone be terrified of the water when something so beautiful could be hiding within it's depths. Beautiful? Since when did he believe that? There was no denying the mermaid was beautiful, but did he find himself attracted to it? The creature was so mysterious, and gorgeous that it was possible an attraction might have developed even if it was strange…

"No!" he shouted. Syo was unaware that he was no longer speaking to himself in his mind, but quickly realized it when Natsuki stumbled back.

"Sorry…I won't ask again…" His guard showed himself out the door, leaving the prince to think about what had happened.

His thoughts were consumed by the image of the mermaid each day and night. He could literally not focus on anything without seeing it's beautiful face, and the unique locks of cyan hair cascading down to the mermaid's shoulders. He touched his legs slowly as he recalled the memory of his legs being covered by the tail. If only he could have heard it's voice as well, but maybe it was for the better. The mermaid's voice would have only haunted him. His heart ached, but not from physical pain. Instead it was from his desire to see his savior again even if more a brief moment. He wanted to thank it, and even have a conversation, but there was little chance of that happening.

No, Syo refused to believe that. He would meet the mermaid again, and noting could convince him otherwise. He would look for it every day whenever there was a chance, knowing he could not leave things the way they were. Eventually, the prince drifted off to sleep as the fantasy of his reunion with the mermaid filled his dreams every night

* * *

Ever since he rescued the human, Ai found himself filled with more fascination about the human race, but his main concern was fear for his own safety. He hoped maybe the human would believe Ai to have been imagined, but there was little chance in that happening considering how close the two were when the other had fully awakened. If word were to get around about a mythical creature living near the land, he would surely be hunted down. There would be traps set miles away from the shore to capture him and make him some sort of pet or a high price attraction.

Though his thoughts were laced with fear, there was still the underlying fascination with the male he rescued. The young man was beautiful, but handsome. The piercing blue eyes that met his own cyan set locked for a few seconds, but in that precious time Ai felt as though he was drawn to him, like a connection had been forged between the two. He did not understand what this connection was, but he wanted to experience it all over again no matter the cost. This was reckless, and he was completely aware of it, but there was no stopping him now that is mind was made up. However, it would take him at least a few days to summon the courage to visit the beach again.

As the days passed and his courage grew, Ai visited the beach for a few days in hopes of seeing the human. Sadly, he had no luck. However, this would soon change.

Even though Ai felt defeated, there was a strong urge to check the beach one final time before giving up for good. On his way there, he found himself tangled in an old fisherman's net. This obviously wasn't a trap considering how old the net was, but it still proved to be a formidable challenge. No matter how the merman moved, the net would not release him, and it tired him out the more he struggled. Eventually, he came to the idea of beaching himself on the sand to have a better chance of removing the pesky net from body. At the same beach he left the human, Ai continued to struggle with the net, but just as in the water there was no way of getting free. As he was about to give up, Ai suddenly felt something cutting at the net.

* * *

As soon as various healers came to consensus about the prince's health, Syo was free to move about the castle again. Though, the young male had plans outside the castle walls rather than wander the halls aimlessly as his family wanted.

In secret, he had prepared to escape and explore the many beaches surrounding the land to search for the mermaid that saved his life. To do this, plans about the guard patrols would need to be memorized, as well selecting the perfect exit to leave the castle without being seen. It took about two days, but the prince was ready to leave the castle and its stifling atmosphere.

As odd as it was, he made is escape during the day. Even though it was easier to be seen during the daytime, the guard patrol wasn't as heavy which turned out to be a good call. Syo was quickly out of the castle, and ran down to the beach where the mermaid had left him. Little did the prince know that fate would be on his side this day.

There on the beach was the mermaid who rescued him caught in a net. The creature was too caught up in it's struggle to even realize Syo was moving closer towards it until he was finally beside the mermaid. He pulled a knife out of his bag, and began to cut the net, but this quickly caught the other's attention, who then tried to move away only to end up laying on it's back cowering in fear.

"Please! Don't hurt me!" the mermaid shouted. Syo slowly helped it to sit back up to show he meant no harm. Once the other realized this, he remained calm as Syo attempted to cut the net again.

"I'm just getting you out of the net. I won't hurt you, I promise." At the prince's word, the creature relaxed more than before, and even sighed in relief. "So, what's your name…If you don't mind me asking of course…"

"My name is Ai…"

"Hello, Ai. You can call me Syo." The prince smiled as he pulled the net off of Ai. "There, now you're free again." As soon as the net was off, Ai began to head to the water, but Syo quickly ran to stop him. "Wait, I want to talk to you. You saved my life, and I want to know my savior." he begged.

The merman stopped in his tracks, and looked back at the prince for a moment before returning to the sand. "I suppose we can talk…so long as no one knows about me."

"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone about you. No one would believe me anyway." he reassured the other. "I've never seen a mermaid before."

"Man."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm a merman…but if you want to call me a mermaid, I don't mind it. Most humans are more aware of the mermaid stories rather than ones with males." Syo's cheeks were dusted with a light shade of pink at hearing Ai's explanation.

"S-Sorry…I didn't know there was a term just for males."

The two grew quiet for a long moment as Ai stared at Syo's hair, while the latter stared at the other's tail. The merman quickly caught on, and lifted the prince's hand to place it on his tail. The blond swallowed nervously as his hand slowly stroked it.

"I don't mind you touching it…You did promise to keep my existence a secret, and you did cut me out of the net."

Syo smiled as he continued to feel Ai's tail, fully enjoying the texture, as the other sighed happily at the soothing strokes. As beautiful as this moment was to both the human and merman, it did not last long. Syo could hear his guard's voice, obviously it was Natsuki's voice, who was searching for him. Ai immediately went back into the water to avoid being seen by another human.

"Let's meet again tomorrow!" Syo shouted at the sea after he stood up. He could not explain it, but something in his heart told him Ai would return for another visit. There was also no denying that Ai felt the same about Syo keeping his promise for a second visit. Both left with a smile on a their face regardless of the sudden abruption to their otherwise fateful reunion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The ocean waves crashed against the vacant, sandy beach where the human and merman had met, and aided the other in their time of need. In the distance, Ai observed the beach from the safety of the water since he was afraid of castle guards escorting Syo to the beach. He had already been seen by one human, and fortunately he was trustworthy. To be seen by another would prove troublesome. Many humans could easily capture Ai while he was beached on the sand, and use the merman to gather attention, or even put him on display. These scenarios were not the worst that came to mind…

"Ai!" On the beach stood the young, blond man waving at the sea in Ai's direction. Rather than swim forward to meet Syo, he hid back under the water. No guards were present on the beach, but Ai still felt frightened and nervous, as well as a ridiculous sense of impending doom lingering around.

"Ai? Please, come out. There aren't any guards near, I promise." Syo approached the shoreline, and continued to call out, hoping his voice could be heard from under the water. Just as he hoped, the young prince could see a figure swimming under the water towards shore. Once Ai's face was out of the ocean water, the young man welcomed him with a smile, ans helped the merman sit on the sand.

"Thank you…"

"It was nothing. It just looked like you could use a bit of help. I imagine it's difficult getting out of the water, and dragging yourself to the sand."

"Just a bit…A tail is great in the water, but troublesome on land."

The two remained in silence afterwards. As interesting as they found each other to be, there was no doubt they were too different from the other. Syo wanted to ask about Ai's life in the water, but he didn't want the other to believe he was only fascinated with the fact that Ai was a merman. There was much more to his savior than just a tail. Equally, Ai was fascinated with humans, but he did not have any idea about them at all. It was true he cared little about the humans he saw drown in the water, but that did not mean he was not interested in the lifestyles they used to live. With the help of his new friend, he could finally begin understand them.

A heavy sigh broke the spell of silence between the human and merman, leaving the latter a bit startled.

"Listen…I want to know about you. Everything about you, Ai. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I just thought asking couldn't hurt." The prince looked down at the sand as if he already knew what answer would be. He would understand the other's choice knowing how mermaids lived in secrecy, and for good reason at that.

While Syo was left in his thoughts, Ai hesitantly placed the other's hand on his tail, which brought the prince back to reality. " I don't mind…So long as I'm kept a secret, I can tell you everything."

Syo simply nodded as he thought about what to ask first. He did not imagine Ai to agree, and as a result he did not prepare any questions to ask aside from a basic one. "Let me see…What do you normally do in the ocean?"

"Swim."

"I was asking about how you spend your time in the ocean…"

"Oh! I like to visit shipwrecks, and collect treasures like small trinkets. I have about half a bag full of strange oddities in my home." His face was bright red as he responded to Syo's question much to the prince's delight. "What about you? What do you do on land?"

"I don't really live a typical life…I'm a prince so I live better than most humans…" The merman's eyes widened at hearing the word prince. He had heard of them before, but he never would have imagined he would rescue a drowning prince one day. Syo could see the joy in the other's eyes, his hand gave Ai's tail a few strokes. The two continued to speak about their lives on the land, and in the sea. It was amazing how quickly the time passed by as they shared their lives. Hours passed as if they were minutes, and weeks passed by like days as the two continued to meet in secret to speak and share items from the ocean and land.

As the time passed, their attraction grew to until the point where they had fallen in love. Of course, neither of two admitted it, but they did have a slight feeling they held the same feelings regarding the other. This would change soon when Syo finally gathered all his courage to confess directly. He wanted the moment to be perfect so he prepared a small gift to present his hopefully soon to be lover. If it turned out to be a failure, at least Ai would still receive something nice.

Ai was patiently waiting for Syo at their usual meeting place, unaware of the other's intention to confess to him. As he saw the prince approach, and waved happily as he called his name out. Syo found this to be rather cute, and by the time he was sitting beside Ai, his cheeks were dusted with a bright shade of pink.

"Um…I…I…" Syo stammered for a few minutes due to his struggle to find the correct words to express his feelings about Ai, but not matter what he thought of it either sounded awful or tacky. When the words refused to come to him, he sighed and instead presented Ai with the small gift he had procured which was carefully wrapped in a silk cloth to protect it. "For you…"

"Me?" The merman took the gift into his hands, and carefully unwrapped the silk to reveal a gold bracelet. His eyes sparkled as he took note of the vine-like pattern carved into the gold.

"Allow me." Syo took the bracelet, and slipped it onto Ai's wrist. "It's beautiful…just like you."

"Wh-What?" he was taken back at the sudden compliment

"I…I love you, Ai. Ever since we started to spend more time together, I started to fall in love with you each and every day since we met. Every time I had to leave you to return the castle, my heart would ache from loneliness. The pain only stopped when I came here to see you," Syo's blush deepened a few shades as he confessed, while Ai's blush did the same as he continued to listen. "And I know you feel the same…Maybe less, or maybe even more."

"I…I feel the same about you, but I was afraid I might be wrong about your affection towards me…I didn't want to scare you away."

"You could never scare me away, Ai. You saved my life, and talk to me every day. You also treat me like a real person, not some important figure you have to impress because of rules." Syo grinned and held Ai's hands between his own.

"Does this mean we're lovers now?" he asked as he looked down at their hands.

"Yes, we're lovers now, and I wouldn't want it any other way." The two leaned their faces close until their foreheads met. They looked deep into each other's eyes until they placed their gazes onto the ocean before them.

"The ocean looks endless…Like our love." Syo commented as he closed his eyes, and rested his head on Ai's shoulder. Sadly, oceans do have ending points, but neither of the two wanted to say anything about it.

* * *

Kaoru had noticed Syo was missing from the castle more often now. He wanted to confront him about his disappearances, but he knew his brother would simply brush it of, or tell him a lie. He even thought about increasing security to make sure Syo would not sneak out, but Natsuki had advised him against it. Kaoru was told that Syo was happier than usual, and experienced less heart complications ever since he left the castle more often. He knew his brother hated being locked up in the castle, but it was all he could do to make sure Syo would live a long life.

One day he had finally had enough when heard from Natsuki that he found out Syo had bought a gold bracelet. His brother was not the type to wear jewelry, and immediately knew Syo had fallen in love. True, there were multiple theories explaining Syo's purchase of the bracelet, but something, possibly his brotherly bond, told him he was right. The same day Syo confessed to Ai was the same day Kaoru made plans to find out who Syo was seeing. He did want Syo to find love one day, but he could not risk it now. The emotion could be too strong for Syo's heart to handle. It would make his condition worse, or possibly even kill him.

"Natsuki, you and my brother are close friends. Not to mention you're the best guard in the kingdom. I want you to join me tomorrow when we follow Syo on his usual rounds. I need to know what he's up to."

"Of course. It would be better to follow and protect him than to keep him locked up here."

Little did Natsuki know that those were not Kaoru's intentions. As his brother, he needed to keep Syo alive, no matter the cost. Even if it was at the expense of his happiness, he would rather have Syo live to hate him than lose him forever.

Once Natsuki was dismissed, Kaoru slouched over the wall as the tears he fought before began to fall from his cheeks to the floor. "Forgive me, Syo. Whoever you are meeting, be it a lover or a friend, must go."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The two lovers met the following day, already eager to be held in the other's arms in a loving embrace. Since they confessed, each found the distance more unbearable than before, and could only find comfort in the thought of meeting again the following day. Ai was already waiting at the beach for Syo, who was quickly making his way to the shore to see his beloved. Surprisingly, ever since the prince had met the merman, his heart had been more stable compared to the past, in fact, he would have complications when he did not see the other. Kaoru would never believe him if Syo ever decided to tell his brother. Ai would remain a secret from his brother, possibly forever.

As his mind raced with the possibility of what could happen should he decide to confess, the sound of Ai's voice pulled him back to the present. He was greeted with a smile, and a soft kiss to the cheek as the prince was pulled down to sit on the sand beside the other.

"Welcome back. Did you sleep well at the castle?"

"Very well, actually. Knowing that I could see you the next day made it easy to sleep. The sooner I passed out, the sooner I would be able to see you."

His comment caused the other's face to suddenly turn pink, though only faintly. Syo took notice of this subtle change, and gently stroked the merman's tail. Rather than settle his blush, his actions caused Ai's face to redden even further which Syo found to be charming.

"That's adorable, Ai. This color suits you well." His comment caused the other's blush to deepen further, and Syo enjoying the merman's blushing, face, decided to reach out and pinch Ai's cheek, who moved away to stop the other's action.

While the two laughed played, they had little knowledge of Natsuki and Kaoru hiding behind the rocks, shocked at the sight of the prince together with a mythical creature.

"That's...That's impossible. Such a thing can't exist...Right?"

"Well, if magicians and magic exist it would make sense that something like this is hidden deep within the water. It makes me wonder what else is living right under our noses…" Kaoru ceased speaking as he listened in on the lovers' conversation. He waited for the perfect moment to send Natsuki in and grab the merman.

Finally after a long moment, both he and Natsuki ran up behind the couple while their eyes were closed for a kiss. Ai struggled to free himself from Natsuki's hold, but his strength proved to be too much. Syo was detained by his brother, keeping his head pinned down against the sand.

"Syo, I hate to do this, but sneaking out all the time to see this thing is too much for your body. I'm sorry, but you won't be leaving your room anytime soon. As for this thing-"

"His name is Ai!"

"We'll figure out what to do with him at the castle."

The group departed for the castle with Ai who had already surrendered, resting limply in Natsuki's arms, who couldn't help but feel this was wrong. Syo, on the other hand, was still putting up a fight, but his brother was more than strong enough to keep Syo's arms pinned against his back. Eventually, he too gave up, and instead focused on looking over at his lover who was weak from his own struggle.

* * *

A few days had passed, and as his brother said, Syo was once again confined to his room. No visitors were allowed to enter aside from Kaoru who came in to make sure Syo was not starving himself in protest. As he expected, the prince was growing weaker the longer he was away from his beloved. It was Ai that kept Syo's heart stable, but it was Kaoru who was now putting his brother in danger. The former completely unaware.

Ai was locked away in the castle dungeon, where the guards would occasionally come in to splash water on him as well as to gawk at the creature. Though today was different since he was visited by the prince's brother as well as two strangers.

"So the stories were true. You did indeed capture a mermaid...merman, excuse me." The stranger with orange hair leaned in closer towards the cell bars. The other man who accompanied him tugged at the fabric of the other's shirt to pull him back.

"Don't gawk, Ren. We're only here to put in our two cents as the castle's financial advisers."

"Just a quick look? It's not every day you see something like this, Masato." Both were silenced when Kaoru clapped his hands.

"So, what do you suggest? Pick its scales off and sell it to an alchemist?" Ai winced in fear, crawling towards the corner of the cell. His action did not even so much as gather a glance from his spectators. They were to occupied with their chat about turning the merman into a profit.

"Profitable, but may I suggest something?" The blue haired man stepped forward, his attention set on the cell rather than on Ai. "Why not turn this into an attraction? We could turn this cell into a sort of tank with the help of a magician. Ren, do you know of one?"

"But of course. The Cold Baron from a foreign land does owe me a favor, so his assistance would be free of charge. He could easily cast a spell to fill this cell with water, and it will never spill. We can easily remove the bars as well in order to provide an easier view for guests, as well as remove the dungeon vibe from this location. Much more friendly. Care to add anything else in, Masa?"

He rolled his eyes, but spoke nonetheless. "We should set a low admission price in order to encourage visits, and revisits from past guests. If we place it too high, we risk losing paying patrons. A lost opportunity if you will."

Both advisers nodded, while Ai was still curled up in the corner. He was afraid of humans, but now he was truly mortified at the thought of having so many come to stare at him for entertainment. He quietly whispered Syo's name to himself, hoping the prince would come to rescue him, though the prince himself was also in need of being rescued from his personal prison.

It only took a day for the magician to visit, as well as make himself home at the castle to fix any problems with his spell should a problem arise, and cast his magic to turn Ai's prison cell into a fish tank. They were kind enough to at the very least add in marine life from the ocean as well as vegetation, but he knew it was more for the aesthetic rather than to make him comfortable. For the first few days he would remain in the corner rather than swim around, and expose himself to the crowd of humans. However, he was promised a visitation from Syo every so often if he performed for the audience which he immediately agreed to. It had been what seemed like ages since the two had even spoke to one another. If entertaining the audience was all he needed to do, so be it. Syo was worth more than anything to him.

Meanwhile the prince was unaware Ai had been turned into a spectacle. Anytime he asked about what had happened to his lover, there was no answer from his brother. It took days until Kaoru mentioned Ai, and promised his brother he could see him so long as he behaved and ate properly. A quick agreement formed, and Syo happily went to bed though tears streamed down his cheeks as he dreamed of what used to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Once the prince had managed to follow the rules to the letter, and his body had healed from his lack of nutrition, he was given permission to see his beloved once again. He was lead down to dungeon, by his former best friend, to see Ai in his display, or rather his detention cell. He wondered how his lover was faring under the conditions. No one knew what people of the sea ate, and he doubted Ai would even tell them, or that the castle staff would have even been bothered to ask. Had they even bothered to take care of him at all? Syo bit his lip as he pushed away any negative thoughts that clouded his mind. He needed to be positive for Ai's sake.

"You have ten minutes." Natsuki then left the two alone. He knew this was his fault, but he could not disobey Kaoru. If only he had kept his mouth shut about Syo's secret meetings, perhaps none of this would have happened.

The prince ran up the invisible barrier that kept merman trapped within his cell, and his eyes immediately began to scan the cell to look for Ai. In the corner, he noticed a humanoid figure curled up as if in pain.

"Ai! It's me! Please, I don't have a lot of time!"

He uncurled and revealed his sickly condition. Ai's tail was beginning to disintegrate. There were scale-less patches on his tail, and his tail fin was now laced and pierced with holes. Syo cold only gasp as Ai painfully swam his way to meet him, the merman's eyes sparkled with joy despite his ill appearance. Syo pressed his hand against the barrier while Ai did the same. They longed to touch, but it was no longer possible.

"Syo…I knew you'd come soon. They promised you would if I performed and brought in revenue. It all paid off…" he smiled as he sank to the floor causing Syo to fall to his knees.

"What have they done to you!? They're treating you like some circus attraction…They're not even taking care of you!" he choked back tears as pounded on the barrier with his fist in a pathetic attempt to shatter the force that kept them apart.

"The ecosystem in here is different from the ocean…Even if they were taking care of me, this still would have happened…Slower, but inevitable."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I was just…" Ai curled up yet again, but this time with his hands holding his stomach. "Syo, I'm really hungry…I can't eat the human food they always bring me…Do you mind putting in a good word and ask if they bring me some fish that I can eat? I'm not allowed to eat the ones in here." That was the last straw. Hearing that the love of his life wasn't even being fed was enough to send him over the edge. He stood up and began to attack the barrier with all his might, kicking, screaming, and crying as he did so. Ai was too disoriented to even realize what was taking place on the other side of the magic glass before he passed out cold. This only infuriated Syo further. As he was about to throw himself against the barrier, Natsuki took hold of him only to drag him back to his room.

"Your time is up. I'm sorry." The prince put up a fight as he was dragged away, but he was no match for Natsuki' strength.

"Let me talk to my brother at least! I need to see him!" Natsuki complied, but he knew this would end terribly.

* * *

"Oh, Syo. Did you want to thank me for granting you permission to see the sea creature?" Kaoru looked up from his book who was clearly happy see his brother despite the latter's obvious rage.

"What is wrong with you!" the prince's hand curled into fists as he desperately restrained himself from charging up to his brother to give him the proper beating he so rightfully deserved. Kaoru certainly was in the wrong, but Syo could not bring himself to hurt his twin.

"The creature is fine. He's just sick. I'm sure he'll overcome it."

"You're not even feeding him! He's not sick! Kaoru, he was dying right before my eyes!"

"We are feeding him. He's simply refusing to eat his meals. He'll start to eat them once the hunger sets in. Look, you think you love him-"

"I do love him!"

"No, you're infatuated with him because he's mermaid. Once he's gone you'll cry a bit and move on to a real human. I'm only watching out for you, and keeping you from making a horrible mistake." Syo's blood was nearly boiling at this point. His face was completely red with anger. "Syo, your heart! Settle down!"

"You don't care about me at all!"

"And that thing does!?"

"Ai didn't keep me away from you!"

"Yes he did! You escaped from the castle every night! He kept my own brother away from me!"

"You kept yourself away from me! Instead of a brother you acted like a doctor! I needed a brother, but you couldn't be that!"

Kaoru threw his book on the floor, and kicked it to Syo's feet. "Do you see that!? It's a book about healing…Do you think I enjoy bringing in healers to treat you? I can't do anything to fix your weak heart…It hurts to bring in strangers to heal you when it should be me. I'm your brother, and it should be up to me to keep you safe even from yourself."

"You're not a brother…you never were. You just didn't want to be alone. You didn't really care for me."

* * *

While the princes were arguing with one another, Natsuki managed to steal a fish from the castle's kitchen, and brought it to Ai. He wasn't skilled enough with magic to break the barrier, but he knew enough to slip his hand into it.

"Here. Please eat." Ai slowly awoke from his slumber though it took a few minutes to register what was happening. Once he recognized the sight of the fish, he snatched it from Natsuki's hand and devoured it. "I'm so sorry…I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Ai continued to eat, purposely ignoring the other.

"I know you don't trust humans, but believe me, I'll bring Syo in again tonight for you." This caught his merman's attention for a brief second, but he resumed eating rather than giving a proper response. Even if the blond haired man could bring Syo in, there was not much it would do. The only thing for Syo to see would be the sight of his decaying significant other. No matter how well they fed him or how well they tried to mimic the ecosystem of the ocean, though why would they even bother for a prisoner, he would still die if he was not placed back in his proper home.

"Ai, right? Look, they're done with the tourist attraction. Your care isn't of any concern to them. They can't show off a sickly display to the public, so they're leaving you here to rot. You're going to die here all alone…If I could free you, I would. I'm so sorry." With that, Natsuki left the Ai alone. He wondered if telling him the truth was the right thing, but he could no longer take it back.

All Ai could do after hearing that startling information was slowly cry himself to sleep. He hoped Natsuki would live up to his word, and bring Syo back down tonight as promised. He wanted to wake up to Syo's face that night, but his heart told him not to believe in fairytale endings and their false sense of hope.

"I…I want to go home."


End file.
